4 US governors, including Murphy, join forces on gun safety

The governors of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island are forming a coalition of like-minded states on gun control, hoping to make progress where they see the federal government has faltered.

The four Democrats announced the formation of "States for Gun Safety" on Thursday, about a week after the mass shooting at a Florida high school. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said the shooting accelerated their idea to form the coalition, which has been in the works for about a year.

I am inspired by young men and women of Parkland and across the country who are speaking out, and by those whose own voices have been lost in the scourge of gun violence.

Until Congress & the President produce action on gun violence, we must do our best to keep our states safe.

Murphy, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy and Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo formed the new multi-state partnership to combat gun violence and invited other states from across the nation to join the new effort.

“Gun violence is not a New Jersey problem, a New York problem, a Connecticut problem, a Rhode Island problem or a problem for any particular state or region - it is a national problem,” Murphy said in a written statement. “However, we cannot wait for Congress or the president to act.”

Under the new coalition, a multi-state task force will be created to trace and intercept illegal guns in the region. The states will also work in cooperation to enhance intelligence gathering, information sharing and response efforts related to gun violence.

Participating states will leverage collective investigative resources in order to determine comprehensive, coordinated plans for gun violence responses, according to a press release from Murphy’s office.

The four governors will urge others to join the coalition at this weekend's National Governors Association meeting.

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